The International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) and Kolkata Metro Railway signed a memorandum of understanding on March 2 for the co-branding of the Park Street Metro station, which will henceforth be renamed IIHM Park Street Metro.
The MoU was signed by Suborno Bose, chairman, IIHM Worldwide, and Kaushik Mitra, deputy chief operations manager/commercial, Metro Railway, at the IIHM Global Campus.
“We are extremely excited to brand Park Street Metro Station as IIHM Park Street [Metro]. Park Street is an iconic hospitality hotspot of Kolkata and IIHM is a leading global institute of hospitality education in India making this truly a happy marriage,” said Bose.
The co-branding of Park Street Metro is part of Indian Railways’ aim to increase non-fare revenue and is one of the 12 Metro stations, five in the North-South corridor and seven in the East-West corridor, that have undergone similar co-branding.
The co-branding of Park Street Metro is part of Indian Railways’ aim to increase non-fare revenue
“We are sharing co-branding rights with organisations of repute. We are really happy to have IIHM on board. The aim is to maintain the history and heritage of the Kolkata Metro Railway and the Park Street Metro station while incorporating the vision and goals of IIHM,” said Mitra.
Metro Railway has offered 1500 sq feet space in Park Street Metro station to IIHM. The hospitality institute has got the station co-branding rights and can add their brand names, logo (prefixed/suffixed) at all places where the station name is displayed. They can also put their brand logos, colour and names at all the entry and exit gates of the station.
The co-branding of the Park Street Metro station is not just about celebrating the IIHM brand, said Bose, but also about utilising the space and the platform to highlight the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
‘Opportunity to raise awareness’
“We are fully committed to the UN SDG goals and highlighting them will be a major part of the IIHM branding at the Park Street Metro. So many young people study in schools and colleges on Park Street and the surrounding areas, so it will be a great opportunity to raise awareness among them about the UN SDGs,” said Bose.
lIHM has been highlighting and practising the UN SDGs since 2019. Their pledge to fulfil UN SDG Goal No. 2 of Zero Hunger started in 2019 with the Food Aid initiative, with thousands of hungry people across the country being fed by the students of lIHM who became Food Soldiers to support this cause.
“We will display information about the 17 SDGs and organise events to create awareness about them. We are already in talks to host a Park Street SDG concert at Allen Park, where there will be various activities organised around the SDGs,” said Bose.
IIHM can add their brand names, logo (prefixed/suffixed) at all places where the station name is displayed. The new branding should be visible in a week's time TT archives
Anita Mendiratta, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of UNWTO, expressed her appreciation for this special initiative. “Immense congratulations to Park Street Metro Station and lIHM for leading by example – two greatly respected hospitality partners are committed to living the UN SDGs,” read her message.
“This is an initiative by the Indian Railways to increase non-fare revenue and Kolkata Metro, with just 33 stations, is a front runner,” said Rupayan Mitra, public relations officer, Metro Railways. Other organisations that have become part of this co-branding exercise, where organisations bid for certain stations, include Tata Steel, Bandhan Bank, Life Insurance Corporation, JSW Group and Anjali Jewellers, among others.
The new branding of the IIHM Park Street Metro should be visible in a week's time, said Bose.